KING OF PRUSSIA, PA–Hollister Construction Services recently completed work on an intricate 26,585-square-foot office fit-out of a former warehouse for the new headquarters and technology center of emerging biofuel company Renmatix.
The opening of the facility generated 150 new jobs in the Philadelphia area. “This project saw a warehouse transformed into a state-of-the-art office space that will serve as the headquarters for Renmatix, which is a cutting-edge company,” John Bickel, president of Hollister Construction Services Pennsylvania, tells GlobeSt.com. “While it was a challenging project, the end result is an amazing space with a unique look and feel that matches the client.”
Renmatix uses a proprietary process called Plantrose to turn lumberyard by-products into a sugar that can be used as a replacement for petroleum products. The cellulosic sugars are sold as chemical products for the global renewable fuels markets.
Renmatix, which moved from start-up quarters in Kennesaw, GA, recently secured a $50-million round of investment, led by $30 million from chemical giant BASF. It plans to increase its 20-person workforce to 50 by the end of this year, and triple that by the end of 2013, Hamilton says.
The CEO says one of the advantages of the Greater Philadelphia site for the new headquarters is the cluster of research universities in the area, including the University of Delaware, Temple and Penn State University.
A nondescript 60-year-old warehouse formerly occupied by GE and owned by Brandywine Realty Trust was transformed with an open-area design from progressive architecture firm KlingStubbins to create the company’s new space. Bickel notes that Hamilton had specifically looked for a design that combined the energy of old and new and reflected the distinct character of the growing company, Bickel notes.
The builder used natural products to construct the headquarters space out of what had been a rough-hewn GE facility. The Renmatix space offers wood-cladded office pods, and an abundance of natural light through exposed high ceilings and clearstory windows. There is a 100-foot glass wall overlooking the labs and research and development area.
An indoor park with tree and plant boxes was created, and garage-style doors added for access to an employee patio, says Hollister vice-president Scott Levy, who oversaw the project at 660 Allendate Road.
Hollister is a full-service general contractor and construction manager specializing in corporate, educational, healthcare, industrial and retail construction. The company has offices in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, Wayne, PA, and West Babylon, NY.
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